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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 1980)
1 Portland O b u rver A u g us 128, 1880 EDITORIAL/OPINION Only the erudite will survive The way it is By N. Fungai Kumbula There are e n o rm o u s q u a n titie s o f und e rsta n d and a p p re cia te the value o f a newspapers and periodicals providing in fo r stro n g , viable paper th a t is d ilig e n t in in mation of every imaginable context for public vestigating and reporting the facts about the c o n s u m p tio n . A m o n g th o se are B lack Black existence in this environment. There will publications whose objectives are to cover the never be avoidance or com prom ise in m ain numerous activities that interest and involve ta in in g p o s itiv e fo c u s on Black new s o f the Black population. The P o rtlan d Observer political, economic and social significance. and its new publisher, Bruce Broussard, share The P ortland Observer has no fear of being a com m itm ent to their Black constituency and labeled "ra d ic a l" because o f operating in a the general public that this paper w ill continue m ilieu outside o f the established areas of to dem onstrate an unflinching allegiance to power. There will always be a challenge to in the Black position on all issues affecting the stitutionalized negative policies, fabrications Black population and w ill render a positive and practices which are intended to energize service in its presentation of all matters and and continue those kinds of circumstances in facts concerned w ith Black life and culture. which Blacks are always vulnerable. General news accounts and treatm ent of The P ortland Observer welcomes the sup Blacks are notorious for their disproportionate port and participation of those w ho wish to distortions and conspicuously biased m isinter see its aim s and o b je c tiv e s realized. This pretations. The Black population is painfully publication will strive w ith o u t reservations to well aware of these practices and the matter reflect the true aspirations of Black people and w ill not be labored further. But, assurance is their traditions of struggle for liberation. The pledged that this publication w ill m aintain a flo o d of variations and interchanges in the co n siste n t p o licy o f presenting q u a lita tive national and international arenas of science, Black oriented news developed to reflect those te c h n o lo g y and p o litic s are o f s u ffic ie n t Black perspectives that contradict the usual magnitude and hazard that Blacks now w ith pandering and sensationalism characteristic of unparalleled seriousness m ust reflect upon the racist accou nts o f the w h ite media in defining and choosing political directions that America. w ill assure the end of our subjugation and The P ortland Observer seeks to increase the prevent our decimation. Check it o u t... number of Black people and others who can The P ortland Observer will do its p a rt... Freeze revolving loan fund W e concur w ith the recom m endations of Commissioner Charles Jordan and Mayor - elect Frank Ivancie that no changes be made in the operation of the Revolving Loan Fund until Ivancie takes over as Mayor in January. The p roblem w ith th e o p e ra tio n o f the Revolving Loan Fund is not merely one of red tape as has been aluded to by Bureau o f Econom ic D evelopm ent personnel and the Oregonian, but also one of attitude. It is true that the loan process is a mess as was iden tified by the loan com m ittee's m inority m em bers, but is n o t m erely a problem o f p e r sonalities on the com m ittee. Overall, they are sincere and concerned. The overiding problem is the attitude w ithin C ity g o ve rn m e n t th a t lim its m in o rity par- ticipation, sees m inority entrepreneurs as in com petent and undeserving, and considers econom ic developm ent - even in the Black com m unity - as a w hite perogative. This m en tality allows the institutionalization of the ex cuse th a t " q u a lifie d " m inorities cann ot be found while failing to to identify, inform and include the m inority business com m unity. W e recommend that no further action be taken in reorganization of the loan com m ittee and the loan process, and th a t a freeze be placed on the fund, allowing no more money to be spent until after Ivancie becomes Mayor and announces his ow n reorganization plans. Not to do so w ould insure that the money be used up by the cu rre n t a d m in istra tio n and Blacks be left holding the bag - again. Letters to the Editor you are Black, or any person of co lo r, a Jew, an independent woman, or a unionist, you are a potential Kian target. As a member o f more than one o f the above groups, I am not only outraged, but feel personally threatened by the smug apathy o f those who are "supposed " to provide "p ro te c tio n .” C om m unity in d ividua ls and organizations must organize to protect themselves and each other. This is not an isolated incident. One o f the largest Kian branches o f the nation is in Oregon! I f they can operate w ithout hindrance they’ ll get bolder. We must protect our selves and each other, firs t, by recognizing that the danger is real, grow ing and fa ta l; second, by having our organizations take up this issue and seriously deciding on what our active response w ill be; and third, by connecting ourselves with other organizations and groups and presenting a unified approach against the Kian and other right- wing groups, no matter where they strike. Sincerely, Adrienne Walls R A D IC A L WOMEN Agencies discuss cross burning (Continued from Page I Col 6) prospective defendant; b) no license number, just a vague description o f a vehicle and c) that the Clackamas County Sheriffs office checked out one vehicle that matched the description but its owner had a clear alibi. However, A rt Richardson, brother oi Ray Richardson, said he supplied the Clackamas C ounty S h e riff’ s o ffic e w ith the license number o f a car containing twaiben and a woman who were in the area. The sheriff called in the number and found that the car was from an out side area, but no other investigation was made. A rt, who has had eight years o f law enforcement himself, said he found other evidence in the area o f his brother's home, which links the spray paint used to write racist threats on the Richardson’ s auto and home, to the paint used to vandalize the Realty office where the Richardson's bought their home. S till, the s h e riff’ s o ffic e doesn’t feel that these incidents and evidence are related. Lezak’s own a ttitu d e tow ard Blacks turned heads when he called three Black women ''gals." He was explaining the plight of three Black women from the Beaverton area, who were forced to move because of racial harassment. And acting as if that wasn’t insult enough, he went further by saying that one o f the reasons the Richardson family was receiving unexpected white support fro m the M ilw a u kie area, was because of their middle class status. It was at this p o in t, that M r. M onroe, along w ith other Blacks who were in attendance, voiced their objections to Lezak’s remarks. As the meeting progressed, it was expressed by members from the Black community that if the F.B.I. and the Clackamas Sheriff depart ment were unable to do anything other than interviewing, then the Black com m unity o f P ortland would seek to provide the Richard sons protection. The m ajority o f those attending indicated a strong feeling that the Richardsons had en dured enough harrassment and im mediate around-the-clock sur- viellance should be provided them. On August 26, an Ombudsperson from Governor Vic Atiyeh’s office called the Urban League and stated that the governor is concerned about the case, and has instructed the Oregon State police to coor dinate their patrol activities with the Clackamas C ounty S h e riff’ s Department. Since the August 22, meeting, the following has happened: Om ark Industries, where Ray Richardson is employed has assigned a security guard to provide surviellance to the Richardsons awarded a high school d ip lo m a . from 8:00 to4:00 P.M. Clackamas C ounty S h e riff’ s Department has provided coverage from 4:00 P.M. until midnight by using the Reserve Deputy Sheriff. State Police w ill provide sur viellance from midnight until 8:00 A .M ., through the use o f normal patrol strategies. M r. Robert Lamb, Com m unity Relations Division o f the Depart ment o f Justice w ill coordinate his offices activities with Clackamas County officials, U. S. Attorneys Office and the Sheriffs Department in Clackamas County. The Urban League, Metropolitan Human Relations Com m ission, N A A C P , National conference o f Christians and Jews w ill continue to mobilize community support for the Richardsons through the use o f various agency personnel. Said Norm Monroe, "W e w ill use our office to solicit support for the Richardson fam ily until the racial incidents have been resolved.” Through the e ffo rts o f M r. M onroe, the Urban League, N A A C P , M e tro p o lita n Human Relations Commission, the National Conference o f Christians and Jews and other concerned citizens both Black and white, once again we are seeing an organized effort to fight against racist moves to intimidate the Richardson's right to live where they choose. he/she has got to be able to read at the 12th grade level. The main pur pose o f an education should not simply be to get that diploma but to get an education; to learn something. Parental involvement in school administraton affairs should go beyond just curriculum changes, personnel selection, staff accoun ta b ility and q u a lity education. Parents should also be prepared to keep their children in school until they learn something however long it might take. Students need to take a more thorough, more complete and more acatalectic overview o f what education is all about. Why do they go to school? What do they want out o f it? An education is the key to one’ s career, to one’s future. In this increasingly com plex and technological society, unless you can read and write, you are about as useful and as viable as a dinosaur on the freeway. You just cannot make it. Racism is on the rise; the economy is in a tailspin and unem ployment skyrocketing again. In times like this Black fo lk always have it rougher than usual. So we’ ve got to be prepared to fight back. You stand a much better chance if you have an education and an employable skill. W ithout this sort o f ammunition, you can just about forget it. I t ’ s so much easier to turn you away if you lack this or that particular skill and also lack the means (the education) to learn. With the public school system doing less than an adequate job, it is up to the student to work that much har der to get ahead. It is also up to the parent to give their children as much help and en couragement as they can. There is nothing worse than sending a child unschooled, unlettered and un prepared out into this cold, cold world. Instead of crowding the already oversaturated fields like the social sciences and other lib e ra l disciplines, one stands a much better chance by branching o ff into the sciences, math and economics. In most cases they are still wide open with m inority students grossly un derrepresented. Biology may not be somebody’ s cup o f tea but i f you want something w orthw hile you have to be prepared to pay for it. PSU’ s Educational O p p o rtu n ity Program , fo r example, provides tutors and counselors in all fields. To best serve the needs o f the students, the school board needs to listen more to input from com munity groups. This, of course, is a m ajor departure from " n o rm a l" school board p o litics but then neither is this a normal problem. When we get to the point where the school system delivers the goods, not one voice will be heard telling the system how it should operate. Next time Johnny/Jennie picks up his/her diploma, he/she should be least be able to read it, for, only the erudite will survive. REALLY? Judge: What’ s your name7 Defendant: So ’ n So Judge: Where do you live? Defendant: Here and there Judge: What do you do? Defendant: This and that Judge: Lock him up Defendant: When w ill I get out? Judge: Sooner or later! Notes from City Hall By Charles Jordan Commissioner o f Public Safety IN FOCUS: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR CAR Frightened by police apathy To the Editor: I am writing this letter in response to the situation o f the Richardson family in Milwaukee, who are being harassed by organized Kian terrorism, as reported in the Sunday August 17th Oregonian. It is ominous that the police can find no "leads" and have shelved the case, in spite o f open right-wing evidence like cars driving past the fa m ily ’ s house blaring out racist messages, cross burning and cars being spray painted. The lack o f ac tive response by the official agencies is an indication o f the real danger facing targets o f Kian terorism. I f Johnny can’t read. Johnny can’ t write. Johnny can’ t add or subtract. Sad thing is Johnny is not an elementary school dropout; he is in fact a college graduate. The diploma on the wall proclaims: Graduate of JT (Jive Turkey) University. As the school year opens, this concerns weighs heavily on the minds of most parents: will their Johnny or Jennie leave the educational system more illiterate than when he/she went in? A boycott o f classes looms again as happened last year in another parental effort to force the school board to do its job: educate. In a society where one's survival in any job hinges on satisfactory perfor mance, the educational institution stands out like a sore thumb. Year after year reading and math scores plumet and yet the perpetrators of this disservice retain their jobs. They even get raises and promotions! It is any wonder that the parents are up in arms? True, p o litics should be kept out o f education but unless the educational establishment is compelled to become acountable fo r its actions or lack o f same, education can only continue to deteriorate. I f teachers, principals and school administrators knew that their paychecks depended on delivering the goods that they promised when they took the jobs, they would be a lot more effective in educating our children. N othing spurs one to greater achievements than the withholding of a check. The entire educational system needs a complete overhaul. This idea o f "pushing students” through has got to go too. Before anybody is A rise in car prow ls in East Precinct during the month o f July, 1980 has prompted me to share with all of you some safety tips from the P ortland Police Bureau C rim e Prevention Division. During July, 335 car prowls were reported in East Precinct by itself. This is a very large precinct exten ding south from Fremont to the City limits near the Clackamas County border and extending east, from the W illam ette River beyond 82nd Avenue to 162nd Avenue in some areas. Among the very active distric ts are the areas from S.E. 39th to S.E. 72nd Streets; Gleenwood Drive to Divison Streets and the area near the Coliseum when entertainment is provided for the public. The types o f articles taken from cars are primarly stero and tape decks as well as clothes and briefcases. From trucks, they include tools and chain saws -- anything visible! It is a grow ing concern and becoming more of a problem. During the same month SI 18,087 in money and property loss was reported from this precinct alone. The amount has almost doubled since May, 1980. Your cooperation in safeguarding your valuables by removing anything o f value from your car would certainly help. Items that cannot readily be carried with you should be placed in the trunk o f your car. Most thefts occur when valuables are easily visible and the only real solution is to learn how to protect your car. COMMON SENSE PRACTICES • Don’t park on the street, if it ’s at all possible. • I f you have to park on the street, park in well lit areas. Neigh bors should park their cars very close together. (This can apply to parking on the street or in an apart ment parking lot.) • Paint or engrave your drivers license number on the top o f your battery. Also, place crime preven tio n "w a rn in g decals" on your batter. (You can pick up an engraver from your local police precinct or library.) • Most items on your car, such as your hub caps or mags should be engraved with your drivers license number. This w ill help the police trace your property if it is stolen. HOW TO KEEP YOUR CAR FROM BEING STOLEN: • I f you have a garage, use it! Make sure you put a lock on the door. • Here are a number o f items you can buy to discourage thieves: K ill Switch - shuts o ff the ignition. (This prevents the car from being "h o t wired.’ ’ ) Cut-Off-Switch- Cuts o ff all fuel. Alarms - motion or interior alarms are sensitive to touch or movement. You can purchase these items at most automobile supply wholesale and manufacturing stores or depart ment store automotive sections. You can help us prevent this crime and safeguard your valuable. We have trained staff who will in form you about crime prevention activities and provide education relative to our preventing crim e through citizen action. A ll neigh borhoods are vulnerable and East Precinct does not stand alone with this problem. You can make the d if ference. For more inform ation on crime prevention techniques fo r your home, valuables or business contact Sharon M cC orm ick at 287-3692, King Neighborhood Facility, 4815 N.E. 7th, or Stephanie Michaels at 248-4126, Crim e Prevention Division, 222 S.W. Pine. PORTLAND OBSERVER The Portland Observer is a defender against racist assaults, per secutions, insults, harassments, discriminations and related evils; a vigilant champion for justice, equality and liberation, an alert guard against social atrocities; a thorough analyst and severe critic of discriminatory practices; a sentinel to warn of all existing and impending detrimental racist trends and practices The real problems of the Black population will be viewed and presented from the perspective of their causality unrestrained and chronically entrenched white racism National and international arrangements that prolong and increase the oppression of Third World peoples shall be considered in rotation to the continued abuse, exploitation, political manipulation and contrivancaa im plicit in the relationships that have characterized A m erica’s historical treatment of its Black population Bruce Broussard Editor/Publlsher Ist Place Communlty Service ONPA 1973 Ist Place Best Ad Result ONPA 1973 5th Place Best Editorisi ONPA 1973 Honoreble Mention Herrick Editorisi Award NNA 1973 The Portland Observer IUSPS 959 680) is published every Thurs day by Exie Publishing Company. Inc , 2201 North Killmgsworth, Portland. Oregon 97217, Post Office Box 3137, Portland. Oregon 97208 Second class postage paid at Portland, Oregon 2nd Place Best Editorisi 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1976 Subscriptions »7 50 per year in Tri County area; »8 00 per year, outside Tri County area P ostm aster Send address changes to the Portland Observer. P O Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1978 M I MR» ta MtMMR 283 2486 N ational A dvertising R epresentative A m a lg a m a te d Publishers. Inc. N e w York Association • founded IM S
